RedTop: Use this for normal engine starting where an alternator immediately monitors the state of charge and provides energy to the battery whenever it is needed. This would describe most stock vehicles.

• Automotive and RV under-hood starting
• Heavy equipment where starting is the primary function
• Diesel powered vehicles with no aftermarket electronics

YellowTop: Use this when electrical loads are higher than average, or when the discharge cycle is more than typical engine starting, such as vehicles without alternators. This also includes vehicles with significant electrical loads that may exceed the average alternator output (for example aftermarket audio system, GPS, chargers, winch, snowplow, inverters, drag cars). This can also include vehicles that have a lot of electronics from the factory, such as a minivan with power sliding doors and a DVD player, especially if the DVD player is used when the engine isn’t running.

• Racing vehicles without a charging system (alternator or generator)
• Dedicated drag racing vehicles
• Diesel powered vehicles with aftermarket electronics
• Car audio/video applications exceeding 250 watts over the OE system
• Vehicles or heavy equipment with inverters, hydraulics, winches or other accessories
• Electric vehicles

BlueTop: The BlueTop starting battery (dark gray case) is to be used when a dedicated starting battery is required and it should never be used for cycling duty. The dual purpose BlueTop (light gray case) can be used for both starting and deep cycling; it is a true deep cycle battery with extremely high cranking power.

• Trolling motors, marine applications with heavy electrical accessories and RVs should use a dual purpose BlueTop (which is both a starting and deep cycle battery)
• Use a BlueTop starting battery for marine applications and RVs when the battery’s only function is engine starting

Note: The difference between BlueTop and YellowTop deep cycle batteries is that BlueTop batteries have both automotive (SAE) posts and threaded posts, while YellowTops (other than D31T) only have SAE posts.

If you ever get confused on the color tops just remember: if it has a dark gray case then it is a starting battery; if it has a light gray case then it is a deep cycle (dual purpose) battery.

The unique design of the Spiralcell Technology provides many features not available in ordinary batteries, such as:

• More plate surface, closer plate spacing and the ability to use high purity lead. RESULTING IN: Low internal resistance. This low resistance gives you more power in a smaller box, the ability to recharge much faster, and higher and cleaner voltage characteristics during discharge.
• Immobilized plates (locked in place). RESULTING IN: Improved vibration resistance, no shedding of active paste material, no gradual loss of power and capacity as the battery ages. This gives you a battery that lasts longer and performs better throughout its life.

The main reasons the OPTIMA battery has a longer life are:

• There is no shedding of active paste material
• The Spiralcell design immobilizes the plates preventing the active paste from working loose, which can cause plate to plate shorting
• They utilize a high purity lead-tin grid
• The grid material in OPTIMA batteries is more resistant to grid degradation - a type of internal corrosion that affects the plates inside a battery as it ages
• The completely sealed design prevents loss of water which can lead to plate dry-out and failure

Mostly this is due to the purity of the lead in the OPTIMA plates. Some of the alloys in conventional batteries are more prone to electron transfer resulting in higher self-discharge than what is found in an OPTIMA battery.

OPTIMA batteries have an increased ability to withstand the high demands being placed on batteries today including high heat situations, heavy electronic loads and increased vibration. The Spiralcell Technology in an OPTIMA is what keeps it from shedding active material that gives a battery power. This technology also extends an OPTIMA battery’s cycling ability.

A gel battery design is typically a modification of the standard lead-acid automotive or marine battery. A gelling agent is added to the electrolyte to reduce movement inside the battery case. Many gel batteries also use one way valves in place of open vents, which helps the normal internal gasses to recombine back into water in the battery, reducing gassing.

An OPTIMA battery is not a "gel" battery or regular flooded acid battery. An OPTIMA is a Spiralcell AGM battery.

When used with a properly regulated constant voltage charging system (such as an alternator) the OPTIMA will usually not emit hydrogen gas. However, gassing can occur when charging at higher voltage levels or in extreme high temperature conditions. In automotive applications this typically will not happen if the alternator/regulator stay below 15 volts.

Deep-cycle means using the battery in an application that will typically discharge 60% to 70% or more of the battery capacity. An automotive battery is an SLI (starting, lighting, ignition) battery. Its plates are designed to deliver maximum power for a short duration. Starting a car typically discharges an SLI battery only 1% to 3%. When an SLI battery is used in a deep cycle application, or in a vehicle with heavy accessory loads, the battery life will be shortened proportionally to how deeply it is cycled on a regular basis.

Any time you need the battery to supply all the operating power for a vehicle or other device. Additionally, deep-cycle batteries should be used in vehicles that have heavy accessory loads where the alternator cannot maintain the battery in a fully charged condition. Some examples include vehicles with powerful stereo systems, vehicles with increased electronics like GPS systems, game systems, DVD players and LCD screens or boats with on-board chargers, trolling motors, fish-finders, stereos, lights, etc.

The OPTIMA deep-cycle battery utilizes a different chemistry for the active paste material on the plates, and a slightly stronger acid. This chemistry change allows for a much longer life in cycling applications, with only a slight reduction in power.

Deep-cycle batteries are designed for applications that require deep, repetitive amperage drain like trolling motors, golf carts, and electric wheelchairs or RV house power sources. However, there are other applications called "heavy cycling" or "high cycling", when a deep cycle OPTIMA can successfully replace a starting battery to provide longer life and better performance. In “heavy cycling” or “high cycling” applications, a vehicle will pull unusually high amperage levels from the starting battery due to extra accessories or limited alternator capacity. Public safety professionals such as police, fire and ambulance fleet managers often find that traditional starting batteries cannot provide adequate life and performance due to heavy cycling. Using an OPTIMA deep-cycle battery in this type of application will result in longer life and better performance.

In any vehicle or equipment that will use the battery only for starting, lighting, and ignition (SLI) requirements and has a properly working alternator, the OPTIMA RedTop Starting Battery will perform extremely well, often providing up to two to three times longer life than conventional batteries. If the vehicle has few or no aftermarket accessories and uses a stock or upgraded alternator, the OPTIMA RedTop Starting Battery is the appropriate choice.

Remember, it is possible to have a completely discharged YellowTop that will not start the engine; the advantages of the YellowTop are that it can accept a rapid recharge and it will recover from discharge many more times.

It is necessary to consider both the application and the charging system before considering which is the correct OPTIMA battery for you. For example, if you have a Ford Expedition with an aftermarket alarm system and you drive the car every day, the OPTIMA RedTop would be the correct choice since the amperage drain will be nominal and the battery would be recharged on a daily basis. However, if you store the vehicle for long periods of time with the alarm system engaged, you should use an OPTIMA YellowTop since the amperage drain over several weeks would damage a RedTop and reduce its life.

Most gel batteries have a much higher internal resistance, meaning they will not be able to deliver and receive current as efficiently. This is especially apparent at higher amperage levels. For example, most gel batteries will not work successfully in engine starting applications.

Lead-acid batteries do not suffer from memory effect. Many people think they have a memory because they experience a reduction in capacity or run-time as the battery ages. The active paste material in a lead-acid battery is a consumable item, similar to tread on a tire. Every time you cycle the battery some of the paste is used up. As the battery ages, less of the active paste is available to charge and discharge, resulting in a reduced operating time. This situation can be more apparent in the case where a high power or starting, lighting and ignition (SLI) battery is used in a deep cycle application. The plates of an SLI battery are designed for high current, short duration discharges. Plates in deep cycle batteries are better suited to repetitive deep-discharge applications.

No, today's batteries utilized polypropylene plastic for the case material. They will not be affected. When possible, always store a battery in a cool dry location.

The most important consideration when storing any battery is to make sure the voltage never drops below 12.4 volts. We recommend using a type of "battery maintainer" – a device that will monitor your battery and keep it at full capacity during storage.

There are two types of maintenance chargers:

1. Preferred Fully automatic “multi-stage” or “multi-step” chargers, which monitor the battery and charge it as necessary. Multi-stage maintainers will charge at varying voltages and varying amperage (rarely exceeding two amps). Some of these multi-step chargers are also capable of being regular battery chargers (seven amps or more).
2. OK but not preferred Traditional “float” chargers provide constant voltage with tapering amperage to the battery even when it is fully charged. For float charging, we recommend 1 amp max, 13.2-13.8V.

If it is not possible to use a maintenance charger, disconnect the battery from the vehicle during storage to prevent small electrical drains from discharging the battery. Always provide a full charge with a battery charger prior to storage, and then check the battery voltage every three to six months. Charge the battery if it falls below 12.4V.

Also, when possible, store your battery in a cool, dry location.

Fully charged, engine not running, starting batteries (all RedTop or BlueTop 34M) should measure between 12.6V and 12.8V. Deep cycle batteries (all YellowTop and dual purpose BlueTops) should measure between 12.6V and 13.1V. Voltage measurements of the battery when the engine is running are the output of your alternator. This measurement should be 13.3-15.0V, which may differ due to temperature. At average operating temperatures of 50° to 80°F your alternator output voltage should be 14V to 14.8V.

If you don’t have a multimeter you can test the output of your alternator by starting the car and turning on the headlights. If they are dim, it indicates the lights are running off the battery and that little or no juice is being produced by the alternator. If the lights get brighter as you rev the engine, it means the alternator is producing some current, but may not be producing enough at idle to keep the battery properly charged. If the lights have normal brightness and don't change intensity as the engine is revved, your charging system is probably functioning normally.

If this checks out, you should check whether or not the battery is holding a charge, or if something on the vehicle is discharging the battery.

There are three likely scenarios to explain the problems you're having:

1. A high parasitic draw ("key off" load).This can quickly discharge a battery and decrease its service life. This may be caused by a trunk light, cigarette lighter, clock/radio, alarm system or any other electrical device. Current drain on the battery can be checked with an ammeter. With the ignition off, disconnect one of the battery cables. Connect one ammeter lead to the battery and the other to the cable. The normal current drain on most vehicles should be about 25 milliamps or less. If the key-off drain exceeds 100 milliamps, there's an electrical problem that requires further diagnosis. If you don’t want to take your car to a mechanic, the easiest way to isolate the problem is to pull one fuse at a time from the fuse panel until the ammeter reading drops.
2. A problem with your battery is causing it to not hold a charge. To check this, remove the battery from the vehicle, charge it to the full voltage, wait 12-24 hours then measure its voltage. Another faster, but less preferable way to do this, is to turn on the high beam headlights for 15 seconds, turn them off, wait five to 10 minutes, then check the voltage. If you measure the voltage of the battery the next day, week, or even a month later, the voltage should be close to the max voltages listed above. If the voltage holds when not installed in your vehicle but drops when it is in your vehicle, see #1 above.
3. The battery was somehow discharged, and your maintenance charger is not able to properly charge your deeply discharged battery. Please see the directions for charging a deeply discharged battery.

Under normal vehicle starting applications, most regular automatic lead acid battery chargers will properly charge an OPTIMA. However, since OPTIMA batteries are frequently used in high-performance applications or non-standard vehicle starting applications, there are certain instances that must be given special considerations.

An OPTIMA battery is an AGM battery, not a "gel" battery or regular flooded acid battery. A deeply discharged OPTIMA battery (less than 10.5V) will not test or recharge properly if treated as a regular flooded battery or gel battery. A handheld electronic battery tester will most likely provide inaccurate test results.

An OPTIMA battery has the benefit of very low internal resistance, which allows high amperage output as well as efficient charge acceptance. This benefit also allows an OPTIMA battery to run longer than its specified ratings and run to a lower voltage than typical flooded batteries. All of this can lead to confusion when it comes to recharging a deeply discharged OPTIMA. Most basic battery chargers have a built-in function to prevent charging a battery with less than 10.5 volts. If your OPTIMA is discharged below that, the battery charger may not start up.

Most high-quality, modern battery chargers now have built-in features to charge AGM batteries like OPTIMA. Some have specific AGM settings which should be used to charge an OPTIMA. Do not use “gel” or “gel/AGM” settings, as they will not fully charge an OPTIMA and could damage it over time. However, even some AGM compatible chargers will not recharge deeply discharged (less than 10.5 volts) OPTIMA batteries. It may be necessary to follow the instructions provided in section #3.

For regular charging we recommend a maximum of 10 amps, 13.8-15.0V. For float charging, we recommend one amp maximum, 13.2-13.8V.

Under normal (engine starting) conditions, an OPTIMA battery should never experience “at rest” voltages below 10.5 volts. In these applications, most 12 volt chargers (old or newer) or alternators will sufficiently recharge an OPTIMA with at least 10.5 volts. Typically we only see issues with charging when it relates to stand-alone deep cycling applications or severely discharged OPTIMA’s.

If an OPTIMA is deeply discharged (below 10.5 volts) most basic chargers will not supply a charge. Also keep in mind an OPTIMA will not recharge properly if treated as a regular flooded or gel battery. To charge the battery, you can wire a second fully charged automotive battery (12+V) to the discharged AGM in parallel (+ to + and – to –). Then hook up the charger to either battery, setting the charger at 10 amps. Leave for two hours, monitoring frequently. During this process if the discharged battery gets very hot or if it is venting (hissing sound from vents) then stop this process immediately. When the discharged battery reaches 10.5 volts or more, remove the standard battery and continue charging the AGM until fully charged.

For normal charging a relatively low current, such as one or two amps can work well, but when the battery has been deeply discharged, some sulfation of the battery plates may have occurred. If you charge at 10 amps, the higher current will help to break up this sulfation.

If you have an automatic charger, let it run until the charger indicates charging is complete. If you have a manual charger, you can get a rough estimate of the charging time in hours of a completely discharged battery (11.2V) by multiplying the capacity (amp hours or Ah) of the battery by 1.2. If your battery is not completely discharged the time would be less.

In most cases these steps will recover the AGM battery. It’s okay for the AGM battery to get slightly warm during the charging process. If it’s hot to the touch it means there’s a short and the process should be discontinued.

Yes and you can use any charger on an OPTIMA as long as the voltage is regulated properly. If your charger will remain on indefinitely, the voltage should be at 13.8 volts maximum with a one amp maximum current.

No, as long as the voltage is properly regulated. Because the OPTIMA has a very low internal resistance it will accept high current more efficiently than conventional batteries.

Click here to for OPTIMA’s warranty policy.

The OPTIMA factory warranty policy requires a receipt from the original purchaser. Your purchase receipt:

1. Establishes the beginning date of service.
2. Identifies you as the original purchaser.
3. Identifies that the battery is used in a consumer (not commercial) application.
4. Identifies the sale as a retail purchase of a new and unused OPTIMA battery.

An OPTIMA battery does not have a lifetime warranty. Your initial purchase of an OPTIMA battery carries a warranty based on the model and type of usage. If your OPTIMA is replaced under the warranty policy, your replacement battery carries a warranty period from the original OPTIMA purchase. Warranty replacement batteries do not carry a new warranty. The only way for us to determine your original battery purchase date is to have the original receipt.

The same OPTIMA battery model that you purchase is used in many demanding commercial applications. Those applications carry a much different warranty than our consumer warranty. In addition, some OPTIMA batteries are provided to customers for testing or sponsorships. These batteries may not carry a warranty.

Lastly, even though OPTIMA discourages this practice, some battery specialists may recondition OPTIMA products that have been returned for warranty replacement. These batteries could be resold and they would have absolutely no factory warranty coverage. Though we pride ourselves in the relationships we have with our distributors, and we have numerous programs and incentives to have defective batteries returned to us, we cannot have complete control over what happens with every returned battery.

Unfortunately, OPTIMA does not offer an exact-fit replacement battery for every application. You can measure the dimensions of your existing stock battery to see if there’s an OPTIMA that will work for your vehicle. Below is a link to the product specification page where you can find exact dimensions for all OPTIMA batteries:

View our products spec pages to find the exact dimensions.

YellowTop
http://www.optimabatteries.com/optima_products/yellowtop/specs.php

BlueTop
http://www.optimabatteries.com/optima_products/bluetop/specs.php

RedTop
http://www.optimabatteries.com/optima_products/redtop/specs.php

Alternately, you can check the Internet enthusiast forums for your vehicle to see how others have done custom applications with OPTIMA batteries.

If you are using an OPTIMA battery in a custom application, it is important to consider the following:

1. Hood Clearance – There should be at least ¾” clearance between the top of the battery terminals and the underside of the hood.
2. Trunk/Interior Mounting – If your battery is mounted inside the passenger compartment or trunk (common in many European makes), the battery must be vented to the outside of the vehicle. OPTIMA group 27, 51, 78, 34C, and 31 batteries all have ports for connecting a vent hose.
3. Side Terminals – OPTIMA 34/78, D34/78, 75/25 and D75/25 batteries have both top and side terminals. If you are using one of these batteries in a vehicle that uses the top terminals, it is important to ensure that the side terminals can not come into contact with anything metallic (for example, the firewall or fender well), thereby causing a short. We suggest keeping the post protectors on the terminals you are not using. Do not connect a winch to the side terminals.
4. Battery Modifications – Cutting, drilling, trimming or otherwise modifying your OPTIMA battery may present a safety hazard and will void the warranty.
5. Mounting – Your Optima battery must be securely mounted. The terminals are not intended to be used to secure the battery. Using the terminals in this way will damage the battery and void your warranty.

If you don't have aftermarket electrical accessories in your vehicle we recommend the RedTop 35. If you do have aftermarket electrical accessories, such as an audio system with amps, we recommend YellowTop D35. Both of these are top post only batteries.

Please note we also make a group 75/25 battery (some retailers will label it 75/35 in their system). This battery has both top and side posts and probably will not work in your vehicle. The positive and negative posts are on the wrong side for your vehicle and your cables may not reach.

Any retailer from which you purchase an OPTIMA should provide warranty service for you for the full duration of your warranty. However, there are some online retailers that do not. We strongly recommend that you find out the warranty procedures before making a purchase. If the seller’s procedure is to contact the manufacturer or if they do not provide a customer service phone number that they answer (not the OPTIMA Batteries’ customer service number) we recommend looking elsewhere.

For same-day purchases and service, we recommend visiting your nearest OPTIMA retailer, as online purchases can take multiple days to arrive. Likewise, in the event that product support service is needed, online purchases must be shipped back to the original seller and can take several days to be processed and returned.

• Ship OPTIMA products in approved shipment packaging
• Answer a toll-free service phone number during business hours
• Adhere to and honor the OPTIMA factory warranty policy
• Provide an in-house warranty program

No, when hooking batteries together in parallel they should be of identical make, model and of similar age.

Yes, most any type of battery separator or solenoid can be used with an OPTIMA. The important thing to remember is that the charging voltage must be within the limits suggested by OPTIMA Batteries. If you are using an OPTIMA and a conventional battery, your system must charge each battery independently. Remember, some isolators cause a voltage drop, so make sure your charging voltage AT THE BATTERY is sufficient. Continued undercharging of a battery will lead to premature failure and a drop in capacity.